


Altruism

by eso (cazzy)



Category: Show By Rock!! - All Media Types
Genre: Boys In Love, Cuddling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Living Together, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 04:32:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10404015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cazzy/pseuds/eso
Summary: “Of course. You’re so focused on taking care of others that you forget about yourself.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for the wonderful [Noe!](http://twitter.com/AnimalRope) I hope you enjoy it!

Rom is exhausted.

It’s not necessarily a new feeling. Between his day job and the band, he’s constantly busy, always on the move and occupied with either music or accounting tasks. Working in the office all day only to head over to the studio and practice for hours on end would take its toll on even the most fortified of minds, but there isn’t much to do about it. Crow, Aion, and Yaiba need him to boost morale and drive them to achieve their fullest potential, and Rom needs the job to support him and his band’s bottomless stomachs. Exhaustion has become something of a familiar friend, trailing after him in everything he does. Coffee only helps so much, and he can usually push it down for the sake of practicing with his band or spending time with the Plasmagica girls, but lately it’s seemed to weigh him down, pressing on his shoulders like an unforgettable presence.

Most of the time, he doesn’t really mind. Being tired is a perfectly fair tradeoff for running a band with his best friends and still having the money to afford a roof over his head.

And Shuuzo’s, even if the frontman of Trichronika could probably purchase several apartments of his own without Rom’s office salary.

“You’ve been working for hours,” said wealthy frontman of the most popular band in Midi City drawls, catching Rom’s attention. Shuuzo’s lounging about like he always tends to do once he steps through the threshold of their shared apartment. Rom had caught him scribbling down some potential lyrics in a notebook the last time he raised his head to check on the blond, but an indeterminate period of time has passed and he’s clearly bored of it now if he’s bothering Rom.

Unfortunately, Rom really _does_  need to get this done, despite how weary he is. He’s seated at the desk crammed into one of the corners of their bedroom, papers strewn about the wooden desktop, and he knows he’s been working for hours, but there’s still so many documents to sort through.

“I left work early yesterday because Aion wanted to go over a new song he wrote,” Rom says, squinting down at a faded, barely legible receipt. Even through the lenses of his glasses, the words are hard to decipher, and he frowns. His eyesight’s not as good as it used to be, but there’s a blurriness at the corners of his vision that aren’t typically there. Slipping fingers beneath the frames, he rubs at his eyes. “I have to catch up tonight in order to prepare for a presentation next week.”

“You still deserve a break,” his boyfriend says, ever the one to indulge in things like complacency and lounging about. Personal comfort, according to Shuuzo, is a top priority.

Well, at least for those who can afford it.

“I’m almost done.” He’ll be able to finish up in about an hour if he pushes through this wave of fatigue. ShinganCrimsonZ has a show lined up for next week, and he has to get through the bulk of this if he wants to be able to dedicate enough time to practicing at the studio for it. His boss is usually pretty flexible with his schedule in order to make time for his music, but that doesn’t mean band practice is an excuse for slacking. There’s a reason he’s valued as a top employee, and Rom knows his work ethic is far above average.

“Be done now,” Shuuzo insists. He’s sprawled out on their huge bed, somehow managing to make the mussed-up sheets and pillows look like they were intentionally displayed that way. They’re rumpled and strewn about haphazardly — Rom knows he tends to toss and turn in his sleep — but only Shuuzo could make their messy bed look so artfully disheveled.

It’s a ridiculous talent of his, really. For as long as Rom’s known him, Shuuzo has constantly maintained an air of effortless grace and style. Back when they had been in Amatelast, a lifetime ago, every article of clothing Shuuzo wore had been perfectly tailored, as though designed specifically for him. Between his dark hair and too-tight pants and rakish grin, his style had fallen somewhere between carelessly glamorous and skillfully tousled, and it’s a look that Rom’s always found attractive.

Nowadays, there’s just a lot more glitter, but the overall effect remains the same.

“Pay attention to me instead of your boring pieces of paper.” It’s a petulant demand, reminiscent of the idol persona Shuuzo adopts for the sake of Trichronika, and Rom should really be more annoyed at the words, but all he can muster is a fond smile before audibly sighing.

He _could_ use a break, honestly. His shoulders hurt from hunching over as he sorts through various forms and documents, and the unforgiving wood of the chair he’s currently sitting in doesn’t hold a candle to the luxurious comfort that he knows from experience their bed brings.

“Just for a little while,” he concedes, slipping his glasses off and setting them down before pushing away from the desk. Rom arches his back in a positively feline stretch, flexing his spine until he can hear the satisfying crack of vertebrae. He takes his time with it, working out any kinks in his shoulders and neck. They really should invest in a more comfortable chair — the sturdy wooden one he’s been using for years is slightly too cramped for his large frame, and its lack of cushioning certainly doesn’t do his spine any favors. He’s just been too lazy to find a new one, and maybe a little too frugal to justify the extra expense. It would probably do him some good to start searching, though, especially if he’s going to spend so much time slouched in it.

Rom spins on his heel toward their bed after his extended stretch, and sees Shuuzo eyeballing him unabashedly. He raises an eyebrow at the blatant ogling.

Shuuzo winks in return, and Rom can’t help the chuckle that bursts from his chest.

It’s hot in Midi City around this time of year, and Rom hadn’t bothered to slip a new shirt on after shrugging off one of the pressed button-downs he wears to the office every day. It’s clearly doing him some favors now, but Rom would be lying if he said that stripping down and baring his chest as he’d walked in the door was a _complete_ accident.

Going shirtless for Amatelast concerts _did_ have something to do with the sweat he always worked up after drumming to his heart’s content, but even as a cocky teenager, Rom had quickly caught onto the way Shuuzo’s gaze always raked over his body whenever he’d forgo the article of clothing. It became somewhat of a trademark, its legacy carrying on in the vest that Rom now wears for ShinganCrimsonZ concerts, and he’s not entirely sure it’s something he’ll ever give up, especially not when Shuuzo throws him such frequent appraising glances.

“Any luck?” Rom asks, nodding toward the open notebook on the bed. There are a few disjointed phrases scribbled across the lined paper — it’s a process Rom is all too familiar with. It’s not one of his strengths, though, and it’s why he leaves songwriting to Aion.

“Maybe,” Shuuzo says, tapping the pen caught between his fingers against his lips. “I’ll ask Kai about them later, when he’s back in the city. What’s really important here is that you’ve stopped working and the world hasn’t ended!”

Sometimes Shuuzo is a complete brat. Rom doesn’t bother responding verbally; he rolls his eyes and climbs onto the bed until his knees are pressing deep into the mattress, and then he pins his sassy boyfriend against the sheets. His hands are a heavy weight against the sharpness of Shuuzo's shoulders, and his eyes are wide as he stares up at Rom. Really, though, it's entirely his fault: Shuuzo should really know better than to aggravate a leopard — felines tend to bring out their claws. Rom bends over to nip at the exposed skin of Shuuzo’s collarbone: he’s wearing a loose shirt with a low collar, and this close he can smell the sharp scent of his boyfriend conceding control to him in this position.

Rom’s fangs are sharp, which means he has to be careful with how much pressure he applies — he doesn’t actually want to _hurt_ Shuuzo, but the sarcastic comment deserves some kind of reprimand, and biting him where he’s vulnerable seems like a fairly viable option right now. When the blond yelps, he lets up, leaning back to admire the reddened mark near the curve of his neck. It’s almost a shame that Shuuzo isn’t on tour right now: it’d be nice to see him try to cover up the bite with makeup, or even bear it proudly amongst thousands of his adoring fans.

“So rude,” Shuuzo whines, but the complaint is belied by the flush on his cheeks and the playful lilt of his voice. It’s clear he doesn’t _really_ mind, but it’s part of the game they play. (And Rom wouldn’t have it any other way.)

“You started it,” Rom responds, soothing the reddened flesh with a swipe of his rough tongue. “Have you eaten yet? I can cook something if you’re hungry.” Now that he’s not so hyperfocused on his work, the concerns of his body are making themselves known. The soreness in his shoulders refuses to abate, and he could use some dinner. And about a hundred hours of sleep, but that’s a debt he’s not likely to catch up on any time soon.

Shuuzo’s been home for a while -- Trichonika’s just finished recording their latest album and the three of them are taking a few days off while their music goes through editing. Rom envies him the slightest bit for being able to relax and not face the pressure of pending deadlines, but dwelling on the fact that they live different lives won’t do him any good. When ShinganCrimsonZ hits it big and knocks Trichronika off the top charts, Rom is sure he’ll enjoy watching Shuuzo scramble to alter the situation, but he’s not quite there yet. Work is a necessary evil.

“Mm,” Shuuzo murmurs, tail curling around the curve of Rom’s hip as he settles into the plush softness of the mattress. It’s an extravagant thing, just like Shuuzo himself, purchased by the blond almost immediately after they’d moved in together. “No, but don’t bother. We’ll order in.”

It’s clear that Shuuzo has no intention of letting him off the bed in the near future, and Rom settles in and makes himself comfortable. His hands are calloused from years of gripping drumsticks, but Shuuzo doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, his frame huddles closer to Rom’s the moment he slips his hands beneath Shuuzo’s clothing and slides his hands over the smooth, pale skin of his boyfriend’s back.

“You're not subtle, Shuu,” Rom says after a peaceful moment of just _existing_ with Shuuzo in his arms. It’s warm in bed, and way too relaxing to do absolutely nothing but breathe in Shuuzo’s scent and listen to their breathing. A man could get addicted to something like this. But for all of his whining and pouting, it’s clear that Shuuzo’s aim from the start was to provide Rom with respite from his mountain of work, and it would be ridiculous (and _horrible_ for Shuuzo’s already over-inflated ego) to let his awareness of the tactic go unmentioned.

“I don’t need to be,” Shuuzo says, nuzzling into the junction between Rom’s neck and shoulder. “You came, after all.”

The words are confident, self-assured in their certainty, and the scoff Rom lets out is entirely for show. He knows that most of Shuuzo’s behaviors are put-upon, that underneath the cocky grins and teasing, narcissistic lilts of his melodious voice lies a heart of gold. And anyway, his current confidence stems from succeeding in prying Rom away from work, after all, and that’s hardly a malicious act.

Rom moves a hand up into the soft tangle of Shuuzo’s hair. He’s still not entirely used to the golden hue of it, struggles sometimes to reconcile its brightness with the dark shades of black that covered the head of the man he fell in love with, but — Shuuzo’s still Shuuzo, no matter the color of his hair. Rom reaches until he’s pinching the soft fur of Shuuzo's ear between his thumb and forefinger. It elicits a quiet almost-purr of contentment from the blond.

 _Of course I came,_ Rom thinks. He’d be a fool not to. His dream has always been to catch up with Shuuzo, to walk side-by-side with him rather than lagging a few steps behind. He’d do anything Shuuzo asked, if he’d asked it as an equal..

It’s different now, of course. They never could have had this deep of a connection when they were both in Amatelast — they were too young, too eager to prove themselves in different ways. The band had fallen apart because of their differing beliefs about rising to fame, and their relationship would have almost certainly suffered a similar fate. Rom spends a lot of time thinking about it, considering that he could have possibly had this love instead of the years he’d spent alone and isolated after feeling the betrayal of Shuuzo abandoning him, abandoning Amatelast. He knows now that he would have lost it all, possibly permanently. The experiences they’ve lived through now, the way they’ve matured and come back together again, is a much stronger foundation for a relationship than the lust and adrenaline-fueled actions that would have driven them together in the past.

Now, Rom can’t imagine a world without Crow or Aion or Yaiba — they’re his closest friends, and even the girls from Plasmagica and Criticrista have become a calming presence after all they’ve experienced together. He’s forgiven Shuuzo for leaving him behind because it forced him to become independent, to reach out and form the family that now surrounds him.

Who they both are now is different, and so is what they have. Rom really would do anything for him.

Maybe the best part of it all is that he doesn’t even have to say any of this — Shuuzo already knows.

Rom doesn’t even realize his eyes are closed until soft lips press against his own, chaste but full of meaning.

“Rest,” Shuuzo tells him, and Rom doesn’t need to see it to know there’s a fond smile — a real, genuine one — on the blond’s lips. He can hear it in his voice.

Rom’s still tired, weary with the weight of knowledge that there are still papers to review and the niggling thought that his timing is still a bit off for the new music Aion and Crow are composing, but it all disappears, at least for a moment. He sinks down into the haziness of unconsciousness, secure in the knowledge that Shuuzo’s beside him, even after all they’ve been through.

 

* * *

 

When Rom wakes, it’s with the startled panic of someone who most _definitely_ slept in past their alarm. His body feels wrong, like committing the grave sin of oversleeping has condemned him to some strange hell with overly comfortable beds and warm boyfriends sidled up against him.

“Relax,” Shuuzo murmurs into his ear, his soft breath puffing hot air against Rom’s neck. “I called in for you. Stay in bed with me.”

“Idiot,” Rom says, shoving the blankets tangled around his legs out of the way. His bed’s apparently become an inescapable labyrinth, though, because Shuuzo’s still wrapped around him and refusing to budge. “Get off, I’m totally late to work.”

“Nope!” He shoots Rom a cheeky grin before nuzzling pointedly against Rom’s bare chest.

“Shuu, the majority of us don’t get to decide random things like _not showing up at work_ on a whim like you do — “

“Rom,” Shuuzo interrupts, and even though his voice is playful there’s a thread of something more serious interlaced in his tone that gives Rom pause. “I spoke to your boss. He told me that you haven’t taken a day off in over a year.”

“Which is a good thing, because I’m reliable and he knows he can count on me to show up and do my job!”

“It means you’re overworking yourself. Taking a day off isn’t the end of the world.” The arm draped over his body shifts, and then Shuuzo’s fingers are trailing up and down the length of his side. “Stay in bed with me,” he repeats.

Has it really been so long? What Rom truly lives for is his band and the music they create, but working at the office has become a routine, as essential as breathing. It pays the bills, and the work keeps him busy if not entirely stimulated. It isn’t as though everything will cease to function if he takes a personal day, like Shuuzo said. It'll definitely put him behind schedule, but.

Shuuzo had done all of this for him, just to get him some extra rest. It’s impossible to ignore that, and his heart swells as he considers it.

“The twins are still out of town,” Shuuzo says softly. “Get some more sleep and then maybe we can go visit your friends later? I know Crow still thinks I’m trying to steal you away and will probably glare at me the entire time I'm there, but it's your day off. I’m sure they’d love to spend time with you outside of practice.”

It’s a good idea. Rom nods against his boyfriend’s shoulder before letting out a jaw-cracking yawn. The adrenaline from waking up in a panic hasn’t quite eased out of his veins yet, but Rom settles into the comfortable quiet of their bedroom. He’s starting to doze off, to succumb to the temptation of sleep, when he realizes he’s forgotten something.

“Hey,” he says, interrupting the silence, and Shuuzo hums inquisitively in response. “Thanks.”

“Of course. You’re so focused on taking care of others that you forget about yourself.”

“Consider it a character flaw,” Rom murmurs, words disrupted by another yawn. 

“Rest, Rom,” Shuuzo chuckles, and he acquiesces, slipping down the slope into unconsciousness. 


End file.
